Starbucks is competing with more than a cup of thick, sweet Egyptian tea. Although Egyptians love coffee, they suspect the chain has ties with Israel. And for many that is reason enough to boycott it altogether!

“An unlikely coalition of Islamists, reformists, youths and socialists are uniting against” one of the biggest coffee chains in the world, wrote the Daily Star Egypt. Even though the company denied having any political agenda, the Egyptian Committee for Boycotting is planning to campaign via emails, stickers, essays and pamphlets.

A member of Kefaya, the Egyptian Movement for Change, told the Daily Star Egypt “the movement is not against the American people, it’s against American politics.”

How long Arabs can resist American products and chains remains to be seen. Usually, it does not last long and only a minority completely boycott them. (McDonald’s has been quite popular in the Middle East). Whatever happens, people should not forget their local coffee shops. Apart from being pricier, Starbucks doesn’t offer Turkish coffee!